Williams' return isn't really a surprise. Lucasfilm will be keen to link this film to the Original Trilogy, which is actually quite a difficult task. Han Solo was killed off in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, while Luke Skywalker died at the end of Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Tragically, Carrie Fisher passed away before the release of The Last Jedi, although previously unseen footage will hopefully allow her story to come to a satisfying close. So, it's easy to understand why Lucasfilm asked Williams to reprise the iconic role of Lando Calrissian.

Over on Reddit, a user named Temiriblagg1 has claimed that Naomi Ackie will be playing Lando's daughter, Veranada (Vera) Calrissian. They claim to have been an extra on Star Wars: Episode IX during filming at Pinewood Studios, and they say they played a "guerrilla militia in a secret type of bunker on the planet of Batuu." Naturally at this stage it's impossible to confirm this report with any degree of certainty, but it's an interesting comment that actually has a precedent in the Star Wars tie-ins.

Last year, Lucasfilm published a tie-in novel called Last Shot written by Daniel José Older. It explored the relationship between Han Solo and Lando Calrissian through the years, with one section set after the events of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. In that time period, Lando had settled down on Bespin and turned it into a successful business, but his life was interrupted by an encounter with Kasha Bateen, a former Twi'lek freedom fighter and an old flame.

To Lando's shock, he found himself genuinely attracted to Kasha; the scoundrel who had fooled around with love was beginning to realize what it really meant to have romantic feelings for a woman. Han and Leia were somewhat surprised at this development, not quite knowing what to make of it. "We thought Forever-Player Lando was bad," Leia reflected, "Head-Over-Heels Lando might be ten times worse." By the end of the book, Lando had decided that he was finally ready to settle down and start a family of his own.

Last Shot is set three years after the events of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, so it makes sense that by the time of Star Wars: Episode IXLando's vague dream of having a family would probably have been fulfilled. Going by the canon, then, it's entirely possible that Naomi Ackie could indeed be playing the part of Vera Calrissian, Lando's daughter.